With many Americans concerned about a potential Swine Flu pandemic, I am pleased to announce that MedImmune, the company responsible for filling the vaccines for the entire state of Pennsylvania, has been awarded a $90 million contract to develop a vaccine that targets the H1N1 virus. This innovative vaccine differs from traditional vaccines; it comes in the form of a nasal spray as rather than an injection. This is similar to MedImunne's FluMist product which is a nasal flu vaccine for children younger than five years old, which has proven to be extremely effective.

This is good news for Pennsylvania and the United States. Although the Swine Flu epidemic does not appear to be as serious as was originally feared, there is still risk associated with this virus. The relationship that MedImmune has with the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the state of Pennsylvania, is an important step in ensuring that we are prepared to deal with future flu-related concerns. As a member of the Labor, Health, Education, and Pensions committee, I recently participated in a hearing on H1N1 and will continue to monitor the pandemic carefully.